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Beverages with Benefits: Kombucha and Water Kefir

People around the world have enjoyed Kombucha Tea and Water Kefir for centuries, but it’s only been in recent years that these beneficial drinks have achieved mainstream popularity. Here are some details to explain what all this buzz is about with these probiotic beverages.

Kombucha Tea:
While the name may sound foreign to many people, kombuchabeverages are being stocked everywhere from fancy health stores to interstate gas stations.

Often bottled as a sweetened black or green tea, this low-calorie drink packs potassium, fiber, plus beneficial tea antioxidants. What’s special is that kombucha is produced by fermentation. The tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast concoction comes loaded with probiotics to support your immune system and improve digestion.

Studies have shown that probiotics help increase the good bacteria in our bodies. We need healthy amounts of good bacteria to fight off bad bacteria and to help us manufacture essential vitamins, which is why many people are happily sipping kombucha tea instead of popping a probiotic supplement for their daily dose of good bacteria.

Water Kefir:
If you enjoy fizz in your drinks, water kefir is a refreshingly rich source of probiotics. Also called Tibicos, this fermented beverage can be made from water kefir grains combined with sugar water or fruit juice.

Water kefir provides the benefits of live bacteria combined with food enzymes to support good health. It offers a mix of good bacteria like Lactobacillus and other strains found to be helpful for digestive health. A big trend today is Coconut Water Kefir, which adds the nutrients found in coconut water. Check your local health store for a kefir starter culture and research recipes to boost your health through probiotic drinks.

Which natural probiotic drinks are your favorite? Tell our team at Eat, Heal, Travel via our Twitter or Facebook page. Together we can inspire one another to eat well, live long, and travel far!